70096400 - Programs for English Language Learners in Gateway CitiesData Current as of: 9/11/2013

Programs for English Language Learners in Gateway Cities For grants to establish and operate high-quality, intensive and targeted programs that will rapidly increase English language learning for middle and high school students in school districts serving Gateway Cities; provided, that grant applications must provide at minimum, for after-school enrichment academies to operate during the spring and/or summer of 2014; provided further, that applications may also provide for acceleration academies to be held during school vacations and/or for Saturday sessions during the spring of 2014; provided further, that funds may be set aside for the administration of these programs; provided further, that prior to soliciting applications for grants under this item, the executive office shall ask Gateway Cities to submit a statement of interest for targeted English language learning grant funds; provided further, that the statement of interest shall be signed and submitted not later than August 30, 2013 by the mayor of the Gateway City and the superintendent of the city's public schools; provided further, that that the statement of interest shall identify their English language learner target population for services and shall demonstrate the capacity of the city to provide data and cooperate with the independent evaluator of the grant program; provided further, that cities submitting eligible statements of interest shall be eligible to apply for grants through this item; provided further, that successful grant applicants shall: (a) define their method for identifying eligible and ineligible students; (b) estimate the total number of students in their target population; (c) propose a method for prioritizing students for services if the amount of the grant will not cover all students in the target population; (d) and commit to cooperating with the executive office and the independent evaluator; provided further, that in selecting grant recipients, the executive office shall ensure that all programs funded through this item are consistently evaluated by the single statewide evaluator and that all programs are committed to providing the data and cooperation necessary for comprehensive program evaluation; provided further, that the independent evaluator selected under section 195 shall, to the extent feasible, advise the office on the development of the request for proposals for the grants and shall assist the office in the review and selection of grant applications; provided further, that the awarding of grants under this item and the selection of an independent evaluator for these grants shall be consistent with section 195; provided further, that grant awards shall be made within 60 days after the selection of an independent evaluator; provided further, that the executive office of education shall report to the house and senate committees on ways and means and the joint committee on education not later than March 14, 2014, detailing: (i) successful grant applications; (ii) a set of clearly-defined goals and benchmarks to be used to evaluate grant recipients; (iii) the manner in which grant recipients are evaluated; and (iv) preliminary outcomes and findings from the grant awards for fiscal year 2014; and provided further, that funds may be expended through August 31, 2014 to allow for summer programming